As part of National Grid’s one-year anniversary of Project C Day of Service, employees volunteered to help clean Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Sept. 16.
Part of National Grid’s “It’s My Park” event, the project came in partnership with the City Parks Foundation.
According to National Grid’s New York president, Rudy Wynter, this event is the culmination of a lot of hard work that has been done over the last year by the company to be more environmentally friendly and aiding the community. He mentioned training clean energy workers and helping local businesses as examples and noted that there is still a lot more work left to be done, but said his team is motivated to act.
“The Day of Service is a microcosm of our year-round efforts,” Wynter said. “We’re inspired by the partners who we work with, by their resilience and their resourcefulness. Project C is about being present, engaged and driving positive impact in the communities and neighborhoods where our customers live, work and play. It’s reflected on days like today and in the hundreds of other projects our employees commit to throughout the year.”
Some of the work that the volunteers performed included getting rid of litter, planting trees, caring for flower beds and other general maintenance. National Grid’s volunteer work in Queens wasn’t just limited to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Weeding, mulching, cleaning of the compost bin and edging of perennial beds were performed at the Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson Community Garden in Jamaica. A health and resource fair was held at St. John’s Episcopal Health Services in Far Rockaway. Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities hosted a food distribution. Painting of a game room was performed at Jamaica’s Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York. Volunteers teamed up with God’s Love We Deliver to bring meals to Queens residents. Volunteers and the BlaQue Resource Network assisted the Queensbridge Community Center’s Back to School fair. Volunteers also partnered with United Way of NYC to assist with activities for Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities. Door-to-door outreach was done with assistance from Big Reuse to provide information on composting.
In total, over 2,000 National Grid employees performed volunteer work across New York state as part of the Day of Service. This included the work done at Flushing Meadows Corona Park as well as Brooklyn’s Marine Park. Additionally, employees volunteered their time for food banks, senior centers, holding virtual career panel discussions in high schools, reading books to children at a YMCA after school program and preparing personal hygiene kits for shelters.
“Partnerships for Parks is thrilled to support National Grid on their company’s first anniversary of Project C Day of Service that brought 124 volunteers out to help in Canarsie and Marine Park in Brooklyn and Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens,” Partnership for Parks Corporate Engagement Manager Jennifer Cucchiarella said. “Volunteers removed nearly 170 bags of litter and natural debris and painted over 30 benches, more than 15 lamp posts and an entire skate park. We are grateful for the National Grid’s partnership and the many accomplishments completed today by our volunteers.”
